Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-02-05
THE DROUTH IN TEXAS.
The Imperative Necessity fos,epssdy Aid
to a Starving and Helpless People.


to Starving and Helpless People.
FORT WORTHY TEx.. j n, q. 1851.
To the Editor the Courier. JouraaiS
herewith furnish you somtof the ret
suits of my personal invest Sstions iffhe
drouth region of Texss@ There's have
been many and conflicting reports from
that section of the state.
l spent good part of two weeks drfyS
ing through the country from house to
house, ana in conversation with sensible
and truthful men from several of the
counties affected by the drouth, and my
deliberate Judgment is that the case re-
solves itself into this, viz: That, with
few exceptions, the farmers must
be helped to seed and something
to eat while they plant and Guilt
vate crop or they will be compelled
to leave the country. When it comes
to that, there will be but the few who
can get away. Those people are indus
trious, wiling and ANXIOUS to work but
they cannot get anything to do. Many
of them went away TO the more favored
sections f country and picaed cotton
(many had to pick cotton at % cents per
100 pounds, when the regular price is
from 10 cents to 81 per 100 pounds e.
Some worked on the railroads, where they
could get work, doing anything to get
bread and meat for their wives and chill
dren, but unfortunately they cannot get
work. They are repairing their fences
and tixinG up their farms in the hope of
q coming season. The people almost
universally take the right view of the
case, and pass gracefully under the rod,
q nd think M of no 80
in it ell.
They have sown their wheat and walt 20 see 1t
push away the clOd,
And by that act they snow their trust in God
could give you some Sad cases which
saw, where trusting in God was all they
could do; and, strange as it may seem to
some, it is like the meal barrel of the wild
OW Of Zarephsth Il. Kings, seventeenth
chapter, and all this in one OF the most
beautiful countries on the face of the
earth, and under conditions which are
Just as likely to blast the fair face of our
own beautiful Kentucky. 1t is no dispar
agement to the future interests of that
country that these things are so, for
know of mary places in that same region
wnere | would rather invest in real estate
than in any other country | ever saw.
The little charities which are being re-
ceived now are disbursed in a most pru-
Dental manner. That those of your read
ers who nave lent helping hand TO those
deserving people may know how these
things have been disposed of 1 give the
manner. In one county for example, the
Commissioners court has established
commissary, and appointed keeper, who
is charged with every pound of provision
put into his hands. Then there is COM
mission appointed for each precinct in
the county, whose duty it is to ascertain
the true condition of all, and report the
name of each family in need and the num-
Der of persons in said family, and when
application is made for help, if the name
is found on the list, ar order is given to
the commissary, who weighs out AMI
keeps his account in this way, viz: Il
copy from his book
Mrs. NJ A. Robinson, in family, l
weeks corn, so lbs.
Mrs. NJ Y Ellis, 8 in family, IL days
corn, 100 lbs.
Mrs. f A. Watson, in family,25 days.
corn, 100 lbs.
Mrs. S. A Beard, in family, l6 days
meal, 80 lbs.
Mrs. j. L. Lindsay,5 in family, 10 days
meal, 6U IDS.
Mr.. T. W. Detoor, "a cripple, in
family, 10 days meal, so lbs
Mr.. W. +. Lambert, (sick and unable
to WORK., in family, Is days. meal, 100
lbs.
Mrs. S. a. Beard, in family, so days
corn, 80 lbs. and los bacon.
B. W. Ratcliff, in family, 30 days, sd
lbs. -four, lbs. pork, Sc lbs. meal.
The commissary has to present vouch
ers to the Commissioners court for each
pound committed to him, and when these
charities are well nigh exhausted the
commisssry is ordered to deal out to none
but widows, the sick or crippled. The
merchants carried those farmers Just as
long as they were able to do So 1t is
with deep sense of gratitude mingled
with modification that they receive what
is given out to them. They tell me if they
could only get seed to plant and some
thing to subsist upon until they could
raise crops they would be more tnan will
ing to give their notes and pay as soon as
they could raise the money. They are as
noble and true a people as ever lived, and
to help them is to secure the approval OF
a good conscience and the favor of God